Paved with good intentions.
Remember that old marketing axiom: Find a need and fill it? Well, it seems the folks at KFC are taking it quite literally.
The fast-foodier recently undertook an initiative to fill potholes in the city of Louisville, KY, in exchange for the rights to “brand” its handiwork with logos over the fresh asphalt (okay, no jokes about what they really do with their leftover mashed potatoes…). The pothole stencils will read “Re-freshed by KFC,” to correspond with the company’s new “fresh” position.
Am I the only one who’s struggling to recognize what asphalt and fried chicken have in common?
This effort will generate publicity for KFC and will definitely build good will among the driving public of Louisville. But beyond the obvious gimmickery, is this considered relevant marketing? Do we really think of filled potholes as “refreshed”? And is “fresh” the first thing we think of when we consider KFC?
Probably not. While I applaud the company’s efforts to think outside the box and consider ways to build good will, it would have been nice to see KFC do something that was more relevant to their Brand Vision and added to the experience of its customers instead of just trying to get their attention.
A couple of examples of companies creating bold initiatives that are long-lasting and more relevant to their Brand Visions: Charmin bathroom tissue, which recently developed an iPhone app called “Sit or Squat” that will help you locate the nearest clean public toilet (http://www.sitorsquat.com/sitorsquat/home#). Or electronics manufacturer Samsung, which has installed free cell phone and mp3 player recharging stations at gates of major airports.
My suspicion is that sometime very soon after the next rain washes away the logos from its handiwork, the folks at KFC will ask “What the heck did we just do?” Before long the folks in Louisville will have forgotten about it, and the folks outside Louisville will have never even experienced it.
No matter how this event plays out, I hope it doesn’t deter KFC or other marketers from trying bold initiatives. It would be nice if they could do it in a way that was more relevant to their customers.
Posted by Mickey
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